From ill health to better wealth

nikki2002-2008

Ok I suppose I better start at the beginning. 2010 has been to worst year of my whole life and as I sit here thinking about it I feel sick and keep crying.

I lost my home two jobs and my whole life I have walked away with one suitcase of clothes for me and my dd. I have started again thanks to kind donations and even kinder people. My whole life fell apart but I am trying to pick up the pieces at the moment and god knows how but am surviving.

I am on Employment sickness allowance and because I have a strong work ethic feel even worse I feel like I should be working but at the moment I really can't face people apart from taking dd to school and a weekly shop.

Firstly I haven't lost everything through debt but they are the one thing that have come with me.

Best tell you all what I owe due to getting an equifax etc I now know in it's full glory without post being hidden from me:
£3000 mum
£895 WFTC over payment which I now am paying back £30 a month
£1390 Electric bill that I have just discovered (please don't ask)
£1092 Gas bill (same as above)
£5698 Orange mobile bill (nightmare bill again)
£987 Council tax
£476 water

So there it is warts and all. I feel down right now as if I hadn't been through what I have been through I wouldn't even know a certain someone was good at hiding the post so lesson learnt, and fingers burnt but the way I am looking at it that's the worse it's going to get.

So time to start paying it off as it's all conviently in my name. Just wanted a sounding board right now.

nikki2002-2008

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned....................
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 0
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 586.02
Other income............................ 112.66
Total monthly income.................... 698.68
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 0
Electricity............................. 30
Gas..................................... 30
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 48
Telephone (land line)................... 25
Mobile phone............................ 0
TV Licence.............................. 24.25
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 150
Clothing................................ 20
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 7.82
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 15
Haircuts................................ 5
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 10
Total monthly expenses.................. 365.07

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mum............................3000......0.........0
WFTC...........................895.......60........0
Electric.......................1390......50........0
Water..........................476.......30........0
Council tax....................987.......50........0
Orange.........................5698......100.......0
Gas............................1092......50........0
Total unsecured debts..........13538.....340.......-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 698.68
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 365.07
Available for debt repayments........... 333.61
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 340
Amount short for making debt repayments. -6.39
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 0
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -13,538
Net Assets.............................. -13,538
Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using IE browser.

Did this hoping someone can see where I can cut something down, the £6.39 is going to have to come from my food money but can't see how I can save money at all

cakelover_2

Hi Nikki
Just wanted to welcome you to the board, lots of helpful people on here to give each other support on debt busting and anything else for that matter. Feel free to rant as well, we all do now and again! Looking forward to seeing your progress.
CL

cakelover_2

Just been looking at your SOA. I would say if you haven't already then head over to the old style board for groceries. They have lots of hints and tips for cheap meals. OH and I put aside £200 a month so I know £150 (from your SOA) is probably quite tight. I think though OH and I might well come in around the £100 at the end of the month (for 4 weeks) don't know how, but have just been good, using up stuff, mixing and matching foods together. Personally I would also say just to break even to put less in your emergency fund. I know an emergency fund is ideal and I would love one, but no point having money sitting somewhere if you need it.
I'm sure others will be over with some tips too, helpful bunch around here.
CL

nikki2002-2008

Food isn't all that tight as dd has cooked dinner at school so monday to friday is just tea of soup, bread etc so I think I can make up the short fall that way hopefully. Thank you for the welcome

EssexHebridean

Sounds like you've had a truly horrible time - I'm glad to hear at least that you and your DD are safe and being looked after.

You're certainly in the right place to get this sorted out, so well done for that. Also the good news is that I reckon there is a tiny bit of wiggle-room in your figures. Your food budget could be trimmed a little - write a list of everything you buy at the moment and then think how you can trim things down based on that - for example, a pint of milk is 53p, and a four pint container of milk is £1.55 in Tesco, but only £1.25 in Asda. Then if you have a freezer, consider buying two 4 pint containers and decanting one into smaller bottles for freezing - 2 for £2 at the moment in both tesco AND Asda - making it only 25p per pint. Do you have a bread machine or could you get one, perhaps through your local freecycle? HM bread works out far far cheaper than bought. if you buy pre-prepared or processed food, thing about making from scratch at home as that's usually cheaper. Again if you have a freezer, batch cooking, and making the most of every scrap of food you buy comkes into its own, so buy a slightly larger bit of meat, use it for a sunday lunch, and then a stir fry, sherpherds pie, or chilli for later in the week. mashed potato freezes, so when you see a bag of spuds reduced, buy them, cook them, mash them and freeze them in portion sized packs. If you're a fairly inventive cook then turn meal planning on its head - shop at times your local stores have things reduced and then cook "Ready, Steady, Cook!" style according to what you've bought. Asda have a habit of reducing to ridiculous prices at about 8pm, and an hour before closing on a Sunday at Tesco seems to be a good time.

As for elsewhere, is there anything that can be challenged on that Orange bill as that seems to be quite horrendous!
Why ois your TV license so high? Is it because at the beginning of paying for one you have to pay a little more? (I seem to recall you have to get ahead of yourself, but might be wrong on this) if so remember that will be dropping to a smaller amount in due course.
Your water rates are extremely high - any chance of getting switched to a meter? Your telephone also seems high - does this include Broadband? If so, any chance of a switch or are you in contract?
Clothing: sorry to be harsh but £20 per month is money you don't have. - Undies from Primark (5 x knickers for £2.50, packs of socks for £1/£2 bras from £3 in the sale) and everything else from charity shops. Kids clothes can often be got via freecycle.
I would suggest that at the moment your emergency fund money needs to go to the debt as that will cover your current shortfall until you get everything else worked out.

From there, think about how you can increase your income - "free money" via doing surveys, clicks on cashback sites etc. As and when you start feeling up to it then consider somethihng like Avon or Betterware - the earnings aren't great but it would get you out there and mixing with people and would at least make you feel you were doing *something* which would give you a boost.

Really REALLY good luck, and keep us in touch with how things are going, yes? xx

nikki2002-2008

The emergency fund is more so I can get carpets as at the moment we have floor boards which are horrible. I'm using th clothing fund as at the moment (god I'm going to sound bad) I have one pair of jeans 1 t-shirt and a cardigan which I am washing at weekends to wear all week and spend all sunday in my pj's to dry them. I did bring quite a good bit of dd's clothes but didn't think of myself at the time I just need the clothing fund for maybe the next month as my mums taking me to asda as they have jeans for £4 so I was going to get a pair of those and another tshirt and jumper and I really need a coat as I haven't got one.

Life is dire but can't get worse.

I will deffo look at the food idea as tesco is 5 minutes down the road so will have to have a look whats there when it's nearly closing.

I have got them to try me on a water meter from next week so I don' know if that will go down but thought I better budget that much in case.

Orange was a business contract for OH in my name so now it's me landed with it all. TV licence at the old house was in his name (funny how that was up to date) so I have had to start from scratch there so that will go down in 5 months time. Thank you for ur help x

EssexHebridean

Just noticed your post there about food, and you mention soup. By way of a suggestion....

Smallish free range chicken = £6.50
Bag of value onions 1kg : 59p
Celery 1 head : 50p
Carrots 2kg value : 72p
Value Potatoes 2.5kg : 97p
Bag of pearl barley 500g : 39p (tesco)
Bag of red lentils 500g : 88p (Tesco)

Cook by poaching in just enough water to cover - with a small onion, stick of celery and a carrot in the water. A few peppercorns also if you have them.
Once cooked (when the flesh feels firm and resistant to the touch, and a leg pulled will come away easily fromthe carcass) remove the bird, strain out the veg and discard, and you have a nice pot of chicken stock just itching to have soup made from it. You also, for that £10.5 total spend, have a couple of chicken legs for use as a main meal, a chicken breast ready to be shredded and used in a stir dry, or pasta dish, and a second breast, trimmings from the carcass and the wings which will make a lovely addition to that soup. You already also have all the veggies you need for a pot of soup which will do you several meals, plus veggies for a roast dinner with the legs, and several other meals through the week. I would guess you could get a good proportion of your weeks meals from that chicken, and remember, that was using a really nice free range chicken too, so more flavour, plus better for both you and your DD. The prices above are based on mostly Asda, with a few tesco bits thrown in. Value rice and pasta are also great for quick cheap meals, and those lentils and pearl barley would work just as well for bulking up a stew as in the soup.

EssexHebridean

If you have an AGE UK charity shop near you they currently have a half price sale - lots of stuff in ours for 99p / £1.25 sort of price. Might help a bit? Our local Primark also have PJ's reduced to £3 in the sale I notice if that might be of any use. Also on the clothing front - check if you have a branch of Millets that is closing down near you - they are selling off lots of stuff dirt cheap in those stores - they have some decent enough waterproof jackets from £3.50 upwards.

Could you ask for rugs on freecycle? Might tide you over for a bit with the carpets thing - bare boards are horrible aren't they, and cold at this time of year!

Again, not sure where you are but my parents are on a meter - their water rates WERE £28.50 per ten months of the year - they now pay about £17 per 12 months of the year - so a heck of a saving. You should really notice the saving there!

nikki2002-2008

TY essex I never thought of using pearl barley or lentils but that sounds lovely dd loves her soup because it's cold at the moment as she's cold when gets home. I will get my mum to print this off I'm lucky I don't have a fussy eater else god know what I would do so think she would love to give this a try.

nikki2002-2008

I don't have age uk or millets but there a marie curie and they are quite cheap but the jeans are £4.25 in there I did see a coat in there for £5.50 the other day but don't get money until Tuesday so fingers crossed it's still there. There are also cardigans for £3 they might now be the nicest ones but I think fashion is over-rated warmth is far better. I will look at freecycle and see what they have I was thinking of putting cardboard down for now and seeing if I could put the £10 towards debts and at least it will keep our feet warm Morrison's had loads of boxes stacked up when my mum took me shopping the other day.